Production of knitted fabrics



`Nov; 10,1936. w H BOALER 2,060,020

PRODUCTION OF KNITTED FABRICS Filed Aug. s, 1935 4 sheets-sheet 1 l//G. /029/ 5/ 52 4 n 5 :Re l 4M@ 53 "an 25f6-MummMUm1111111mman.myM\ 5@ l"""mmnnulllumwl HblllllllllllllilIIHIIIIIIIIUIIIIVIIIIHIHH Nov. 1 0, 1936.

5l 94 F/G.

w. H. yBOALER 2,060,020

PRODUCTION op KNITTED FABRICS Filed Aug. 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 2x1/26,0 \34 3/2 ja ,gli

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W. H. BOALER vPRODUCTION OF KNITTED FABRICS Nov. 10, 1936.

Filedv Aug. '3, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. l0, 14936. w. H. BoALl-:R

PRODUCTION OF KNITTED FABRICS Filed Aug. 3, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F/G. /3 HG1/4 l Het/5 F/G. /7

Patentedflilovn'l, y 'i l' n y,

PnonUc'rioN or xNrr'rEn renales william Henry Basler, spenden, nm Derby, England, assignon to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation ofrDelawarc 'Application August 3, 1935, serial No. 34,546

` In (irreal:I Britain August 15, 1934 `13 claims. (ci. (s6-95); l

vThis invention relates to the production of to give the transfer pointsa slowcircumferential knitted fabrics and is particularly concerned with movement relative to the needles, the transfer a method and a machine for the production of points either advancing slowly past the needles tubular knit fabrics. A in the direction of knitting, or retiring slowly in A serious difficulty in the production of tubuthe opposite direction, so as to effect `the neceslar' knit fabrics and indeed of fabrics generally, sary transference of each loop pickedup bya 5 other than Warp knit fabrics, lies in obtaining a transfer point to the following needle, or to the fabric which will not run or ladder on breaking preceding needle. In addition, the transfer of a single stitch. It is an object of the present points have a slight radial motion relative to the invention to produce a circular knit fabric which needles, such motion being effected either by 0 is free from the. tendency normally present in cams appropriately disposed on the point cyl- 10 knittedfabrics to run or ladder. inder, -or by virtue of the different radii of the According to the present invention, in the knitneedle circle Aand the point cylinder. ting of a tubular fabric, loops in the fabric, after Every loop in the fabric may be treated in thi they Ahave been formed by the needles, are indimanner, the transfer points being so spaced and a vidually and successively passed over the heads of disposed that a point registers with each needle the adjacent needles while still retained on the as that needle forms a loop, or loops in selected needles by which they-were formed, the loops of parts of the fabric only may beso treated. Thus, each course being4 transferred progressively either by doubling the spacing of the transfer points,

back to the needles respectivelyv preceding them, every alternate loop may be so treated, forming or forward to succeeding needles. As a resultof a somewhat more open fabric than if all the loops 20 this, when the needle over the head of which a were treated. Or, by omitting certain transfer loop has been drawn next draws a loop, said loop points from the transfer point cylinder, or by is drawn through two earlier loops, one of which otherwise putting them out of action, e. g. with a was formed on that needle and the other on an selectivev patterning mechanism, recurring patadJ'aCent needle. Y terns may be produced on the fabric. In the 25 'Ihusin a tubular fabric resulting from the latter case, in order to give the fabric ladder.- method of knitting outlined above, every loop proof qualities, it is desirable that, in each patforming part of the fabric may pass -through ytern repeat, -at least one loop in every wale of two loops of the row of loops next belowvlt, and the fabric should be transferred. Or again, through everyloop of the fabric there may pass means may be provided for putting the transfer two loops of the row next above it. If after its point mechanism completely out of action, production the knitted fabric so'formed is slightv whereby there may -be produced on the fabric ly damaged locally, although the damaged loops horizontal stripes visible because of the contrast may release the loops through which they passed, between the areas with transferred loops and those loops in turn cannot release further loops, the areas with normal loops. Further, in the since the further loops are held not only by the case, `for example, of a hosiery machine, other released loops but also by other loops. In c'onseoperations, such as forming heels and toes, may quence, slight local damage does not produce al be carried out withoutany loop transfer.

run orladder in the fabric. l Where a large circular machine having a-num- 40 In a circular knitting machine according to ber of yarn feeders is employed, one point cylthe invention, there is provided, in addition to inder may be 'provided for each feeder. In a the circular series of'needles, sinkers, and other hosiery machine having only one yarn feeder,

knitting elements usually employed'l a circular y one point cylinder is employed, which may be so series of transfer points, each of which enters a ymounted that it can bef put out of action duringl 45 loop immediately after such loop has been formed the operations of forming heels and toes on the by ar needle, and lifts it over the head of the admachine. I i jacent needle while it is still retained .by the By way of example a hosiery knitting machine needle on which it was formed. The adjacent according to the inventlon'will now be described needle rises to receive the loop so transferred and in greater detail with reference tothe accomthe two needles concerned, in the subsequent panying drawings in which knitting operation, each draw a new loop through` .Flg. 1 is a side elevation of the upper 133115121 4 the loop so transferred. the machine;

, The circular series of transfer points is mount- Fig. 2A is a plan view of Fig. l:

d in a point cylinder Whose nlOtQnii r'Sllh as Fig, 3 is another sideelevation of the machine; 5"

Figs. 4 and 5 show details of the machine; Fig. 6 is a view of the fabric formed according to the invention;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation;

Figs. 8 to 17 are details of the machine and its operation; and

Figs. 18 to 23 show details of an alternative form of construction and method of operation.

The machine comprises a frame I provided with legs 2 and supporting a bed plate 3. A needle cylinder 8 is provided, having needles 9 held in tricks therein by means of springs I0. About the top of the needle cylinder is a sinker dial carrying sinkers I2 which are pressed inwardly by means of springs I3. In association with each of the needles -9 is a presser |4, a spring 5 being provided to hold the pressers in position. 'I'he needles are actuated by means of needle cams I6 working upon butts I1 on the needles 9. The sinker cams I8 act on the butts I9 of the sinkers I2 and presser cams 20 act upon the pressers I4.

The needle cylinder 8 is rotated while the needle, sinker, and presser cams |6, I8, 20 remain stationary. The cylinder is supported in rotation on a bearing 2| carried by a bracket 22 (Fig. 3), which in turn is supported on a pillar 23 slidably mounted in bearings 24 and 25. The pillar 23 is capable of being moved slightly in a vertical direction so as to raise or lower the needle cylinder and to alter the length of the stitches formed by the needles 9. This is effected by means of a lever 26 providedwith adjustable folllowers 21 which are acted upon by a quality cam 28 mounted upon a shaft 29, driven by means of a chain sprocket 80. The lever 26 is supported by the bearing 25 of the vertical pillar 23, and

provided with a projection 3| acting upon a cam 32 fixed to the pulley 23 so that as the lever 28 is rotated slightly under the action of the quality cam 28 the pillar 23 is raised or lowered.

'I'he machine is driven by means of belt pulleys 33 mounted on the main shaft 34 of the machine, a bevel 35 on the shaft 34 meshing with a bevel 86 which is formed in one piece with a gear (not shown) engaging with a gear 31 (shown in Fig. 7) at the bottom of the needle cylinder 8. A further bevel gear 38 is provided on the shaft 34 and is clutched thereto by means of a clutch 39 alternatively with the bevel gear 35 so that the machine may be driven in either direction under the control of.the clutch 39. 'I'he clutch 39 is in .the form of a fork mounted upon a horizontally slidable rod 40 which is engaged by a lever 4| .pivoted at 42, the lower end of the lever being controlled by a cam 43 mounted upon the shaft 29. All of the mechanism described above is that of an ordinary hosiery knitting machine, to which the mechanism for the purposes of the present invention is applied. The machine also comprises other known mechanisms such as yarn guides 44 (Figs. 1 and 2) adapted to supply different yarns to the needles 9, the yarn 'guides being held in an inoperative position by means of springs 45, and brought into operative position when required by means of levers 46 acted upon by cams 41.

For the purposes of the present invention there are employed transfer points 48 mounted in a point cylinder. 49, the disposition of which is clearly shown in Fig. 7. 'I'he point cylinder 49 is mounted on -and secured to a vertical shaft 50, provided at its upper end with a bevel gear 5| engaging with a bevel gear 52 mounted on a horizontal shaft 5 3. The shaft 53 is carried in a bracket 5,4. The shaft' 53 is driven by means of a bevel gear. engaging withfa NW1-gear 56 f and the transfer point butts 60.

mounted on a shaft 51 carried in a bracket 58 which is secured at its lower end to the needle cylinder bearing 2| so that the whole assembly rises and falls with the needle cylinder 8 under the action of the quality cam 28 (Fig. 3). A gear 59 at the lower end of the shaft 51 engages with the gear 31 at the bottom of the needle cylinder.

As the needle cylinder rotates the transfer point cylinder 49 is caused to rotate also. The transfer points are provided with butts 60 engag- .ing with transfer point cams 6| secured to the transfer point cylinder cover 62, the cams 6| being held stationary while the point cylinder 49 rotates. lIn this way, as the transfer point cylinder rotates, carrying the transfer points with it, the transfer points are caused to rise and fall under the influence of the cams 6|.

The relative motions between the needles 9 and the transfer points 48, and the cams producing such motions, are clearly shown in Figs. 8 to 16. The peripheral spacing and the peripheral speed of the transfer points 48 are slightly great er than those of the needles 9 so that the transfer points overtake the needles` as both sets of elements rotate.

As is shown in Fig. 16 at the point 63, one of the transfer points 48 lies immediately behind one of the needles 9. At this point, as is shown in Figs. 9 and 13, the needle has just descended so as to draw a loop. In this position the transfer point descends under the influence of the cams 6| and enters the loop held by the needle 9 as is shown in Figs. 9 and 14.

The subsequent motions of the needle cylinder 8 of the transfer point cylinder 49 are such that the transfer points overtake the needles to the extent of 11/2 needle spaces by the time they reach the point 64 shown in Fig. 16. At this stage, moreover, the eccentricity of the point cylinder with reference to the needle cylinder is such that the transfer points 48, instead of being behind the needles as at the point 63 are alongside them.

'I'he effect of this motion is clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 15, wherein the loops 65 carried by the needle 9 are drawn out over the head of the adjacent needle. At this stage the needles 9 are again raised so that they enter the loops which have been drawn over them. Immediately afterwards, or at the same time, the transfer points 48 are also raised by the transfer point cams GI. The result of these motions is that each of the needles is now passing through two loops and each of the loops has two needles passing through it.

When next the thread is supplied to the needle by means of the yarn guides 44, each of the needles draws one loop through two of the preceding old loops. This one loop is then again stretched over the head of the adjacent needle by the operations described above and the needles rise again, and so on.

The shapes of the cams necessary to produce the motions described above are shown in Figs. 10 to l2 which show the needle cams I6 and the needle butts I1 in appropriate relationship with the sinker cams |8, the transfer point cams 6| The points marked a--a on the three sets of cams exactly correspond to one another. It will be seen that at the point 66 (Fig. 11) the needle butts I1 are pulled down by the needle cams I6 and shortly afterwards the transfer points 48 are pulled down at the point 61 (Fig. 10) by the transfer point depresser cam |06. The continued rotation of the needle cylinder and the transfer point cylinder and the relative eccentricity of these members then operates to draw'the loops into which the transfer points are successively inserted over the,

heads of the needles next to those on which such j loops are held.

At the point B8 (Fig. 11a) the needles are again lifted so as to be passed through the loops which have been drawn over their heads by the transfer points, and immediately afterwards, at the point 69 (Fig. 10) the transfer points are lifted. It will be observed that at the point 10 (Fig. 12) the sinkers are retracted (between the phases shown in Figs. 13 and 14) so as to leave room for the overtaking motion of the transfer points.

The resulting fabric is shown in Fig. 6 and it will be seen that each of the loops of which the fabric is formed is drawn through two loops of the preceding row of the fabric, while through V each of the loops two loops are drawn. Thus the loop 1| in the middle of the fabric is drawn -through the loop 1.2 and also through the loop 13. At the same time through the loop 1| the loops 14 and 15 are b'oth drawn. v

Instead of relying upon the eccentricity of the point cylinder withreference to the needle cylinder' to bring the transfer points alongside the needles, a horizontally acting cam may beemployedto push the transfer points outwards at the appropriate stages of the knitting operation. A modification of the transfer point cam system for this purpose is illustrated in Figs. 18 to 23.

Beneath the transfer point cylinder 49 4is provided a cam 80 secured to the transfer point cylinder cover 62 by means of a bracket 8| as shown in Fig. 23. The cam 8|). being secured to the cover 62, remainsl stationary like the cams 5|. Four phases in the action of the cam 80 are shown in Figs.,18 to 21, while Fig. 22 shows the cam profile in relation to the needle heads and the transfer points. .v l

Fig. 18 shows the position of the transfer points at the point 82 inFig. 22 at which the .cam is just about to come into contact with the transfer points. 'It will be seen that the transfer point butts 60 are rounded at their lower edges 83 in lorder to provide for a rocking motion of the trans- [er points. In Fig. 19 the cam 6| has caused the transfer point 48 to descend, and at the same time the cam 80 has pushed the transfer point outwards to a position elosebehind the needles, as is .shown at the point 84`in Fig.,22. It will be seen that the cover 62 is cut away inside at 85 in order to allow for this outward motion.

Between the points 84 and-86 in Fig. 22 the cam 80 permits the transfer points to withdraw slightly so that their actual motion is concentric with the needle cylinder, the withdrawal of the cam 80 between these two points compensating for the eccenjtricity of the point cylinder.

The position of the transfer point 8B of Fig. 22

lis shown in Fig. 20. At the point 86 of Fig. 22

the faster motion .of the transfer points has ca-used them to pass the needles tothe extent of half a needle space. Between 85 and 81 the cam 80 once more pressesy out the transfer points' 'so causing them to pass between the needles. Be-

tween 81 and 88 the transferl points travel behind the needles, and pass them to the extent of a whole needle space (making 11/2 needle spaces in all). At 81, the cam 80 allows thetransfer' points to drop back to a position alongside and between the needle heads, as 'shown in Fig. 21.

It is atthis point thatthe needlesri'se and pass through the loops which have been brought over their heads by the motions of the transfer points described above. Immediately afterwards the transfer points are raised and the cam 80 allows the transfer points to `withdraw horizontally atthe point 89. The shaping of the inside of the cover 62 vat the point 85 assists 'the cam 80 in the positioning of the transfer points.

Since it may not be desired that an article produced on the 4present machine should consist wholly of the fabric as illustrated in Fig. 6, means are provided for'putting the point cylinder 49 out of action. The shaft 50 carrying the point cylinder49 is mounted in a bracket 90 which is pivotally mounted in bearings 9| upon a shaft 92 to which the bracket 90 is secured.

Clearance is provided at 93 between the bracket 90 and the bracket 54 carrying the shaft 53 so as to allowthe whole point cylinder assembly to rock slightly about the bearings 9|.

To effect this rocking lmotion a lever 94 isY secured to the shaft 92, the lever 94 being engaged by a rod 95operated bya bell crank lever 96 pivoted at 91. Between the rod 95 and the lever 94 there is a clearance 98 so as to provide for lost motion as shown in Fig. 4. A collar 99 on the rod 95 engages with the forked en-d |00 of a lever pivoted at |02 on the shaft 92.

As is shown in Fig. 4 (a section through the line 54-5 of Fig. 2) the pivot |02 is secured to an eccentric sleeve |03 on the shaft 92. lOutside the eccentric sleeve is a bearing |04 secured to a rod which passes downwardly through the transfer point cover 62 andis attached to the transfer point depresser cam |06 (as shown in Figs. 7 and 14) The rod |05 is broken in themiddle, and provided vvith a turnbuckle |01, the two ends of the rod having screw threads of opposite hand, so

that the exact position of the cam |06 can be adjusted.

clutch rod 40 as it moves towards the left to put into action the reciprocating motion of the knitting machine illustrated. When the clutch rod 40 is moved towards the left it acts through the bell crank lever to move the rod 95. By reason of the clearance 98 the rod 95 does not imme# diately act upon the lever 94 but'rst lifts the lever ||l| and rotates the eccentric sleeve |03.

The rotation of the eccentric sleeve |03 raises i the bearing |04 and the rod |05 and lifts the tl'ansferpoint depresser cam |06 so-that this cam-ceases to depress the transfer points.

After a short space of time, represented by the clearance 98, such transfer points 48 as have already been depressed by the depresser cam |05 are raised 'again atthe point 69 (Fig. 14).

-At this stage the rod 95 reaches and raises the `lever 94, thereby turning the shaft 92 and rocking the whole transfer point assembly'about the bearings 9|, removing thetransfer points from the needles-9 which then operate as in an ordinary hose knitting machine. v

In order` to ensure that the loops are properly held and transferred by the transfer points 40. notches as shown in Fig. 17, may be provided near the ends of the transfer points if desired.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent iszmeans for causing the transfer points to draw.

the loops so entered over the heads ofl adjacent needles before said needles are caused to rise again.

2. A circular knitting machine for the production of a non-laddering fabric, said machine comprising a circular series of needles, a yarn feed, means for actuating said needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed, and to rise again, at least one circular series of transfer points eccentric with respect to said series of needles, means for entering said transfer points successively into the loops held by said needles and means for causing the transfer points to draw the loops so entered over the heads of adjacent needles before said needles are caused to rise again.

3. A circular knitting machine for theproduction of a non-laddering fabric, said machine comprising a circular series of needles, a yarn feed, means for actuating said needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed,

. and to rise again, at least one circular series of transfer points eccentric with respect to said series of needles, means for entering said transfer points successively into the loops held by said needles and means for imparting to said transfer points a slow rotary motion relative to said needles so as to draw said loops over the heads of adjacent needles before said needles are caused to rise again.

4. A circular knitting machine for the production of a non-laddering fabric, said machine comprising a circular series of needles, a yarn feed, means for actuating said needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed, and to-rise again, at least one circular series of transfer points eccentric with respect to said series of needles, means for entering said transfer points successively into thee loops held by said needles and means for imparting to said transfer points a slow rotary motion relative to said needles in the direction of knitting so as to draw said loops over the heads of the next adjacent needles before said needles are caused to rise again.

l 5. A circular knitting machine for the production of a. non-laddering fabric, said machine comprising a circular series of needles, a yarn feed, means for actuating said needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed, and to rise again, at least-one circular series of transfer points eccentric with respect to said series of needles, means for entering said transfer points successively into the loops held by said needles, and means for causing the transfer points to draw the loops so entered over the heads of adjacent needles before said needles are caused to rise again, the eccentricity of said series of transfer points being such as toabring the transfer points alongside and between the needles as the needles rise again.

6. A circular knitting machine for the production of a non-laddering fabric, said machine comyprising a circular series of needles, a yarn feed; means for actuating said needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed, and to rise again, at least one circular series of 'adjacent needles, and cam means for pressing said points outwards between the needlesV so that said loops are drawn over the heads of said adjacent needles before said needles are caused to rise again.

7. A circular knitting machine for the production of non-laddering fabric, said machine comprising a circular series of needles, means forA rotating said series of needles, a yarn feed, stationary cam means for actuating said needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed and to rise again, at least one circular series of transfer points eccentric with re' spect to said needle series, means for causing said series of transfer points to rotate at a slightly different peripheral speed from said circular series of needles, and stationary cam means adapted to cause said points to descend and enter suc cessively into the loops held by said needles, the eccentricity of said series of transfer points relative to said series of needles being such as to bring said transfer points between and alongside said needles after they have passed said needles to the extent of 11/2 needle spaces, and immediately before said needles rise again.

8. A circular knitting machine for the production of non-laddering fabric, said machine comprising a circular series vof needles, means for rotating said series of needles, a' yarn feed, stationary cam means for actuating said needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed and to rise again, at least one circular series of transfer points, means for causing said series of transfer points to rotate at a slightly different peripheral speed from said circular series of needles, stationary cam means adapted to cause said points to descend and enter successively into the loops held by said needles, and cam means adapted to press said transfer points outwards between the needles after the transfer points have passed said needles to the extent of 11/2 needle spaces and immediately before said needles rise again. I

9. A circular knitting machine for the production of a non-laddering fabric, said machine comprising a series of needles, a yarn feed, means for actuating said needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed and to rise again, a series of transfer points and means for entering said transfer points successively into loops held by the said'needles, means for causing the transfer points to draw the loops so entered over the heads of adjacent needles before said needles are caused to rise again, and means for causing the points to enter loops in selected portions of the fabric so as to effect loop transfer of such loops only.

10. VA circular knitting machine for the production of a non-laddering fabric, said machine. comprising a series of needles, a yarn feed, means for actuating said needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed, and to rise again, a series of transfer points, means for entering said transfer points successively into the loops'held by said needles, means for causing the transfer pointsv to draw the loops so entered over Y the heads of adjacent needles before said needles are caused to rise again, and means for putting said transfer points into and out of action so that prising a needle cylinder, a circular series of needles mounted therein, a yarn feed, means for actuating said needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed and to rise again, at least one transfer point cylinder eccentrically mounted with reference to said needle cylinder, a circular series of transfer points, means for entering said transfer points successively into loops held by said needles, means for causing the transfer points to draw the loops so entered over the heads of adjacent needles before said needles are caused to rise again, and means for pivoting said transfer point cylinder inwards with reference to the needle cylinder so as to remove said transfer points from engagement with the needles.

12. A circular hosiery knitting machine for the production of non-laddering hose, said machine comprising a needle cylinder, a circular series of needles mounted therein, a yarn feed, means for actuating said. needles successively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed and to rise again, a transferl point cylindereccentrically4 tering said transfer points successively into loops held by said needles, means for causing the transfer points to draw the loops so entered over the heads of adjacent needles before said needles are l,caused to rise again, and means for pivoting said transfer point cylinder inwards with reference to the needle cylinder so as to remove said transfer points from engagement with the needles.

13. A circular knitting machine for the production of a non-laddering fabric, said machine comprising a needle cylinder, a circular series of needles mounted therein, a slnker dial, a circular series of sinkers radially mounted therein, a yarn feed, means for actuating said needles succes? sively to draw down loops of yarn fed by said yarn feed, and to rise again, a series of transfer points and means for entering said transfer ypoints successively into the loops held by said needles, means for causing the transfer points to draw the loops so entered over the heads of adjacent needles before said needles are caused to rise again, and

means for raising and lowering said needle cylinder and said transfer points together relatively.

to said sinkers so as to vary the length of the stitches formed by said needles, the transfer points remaining in correct vertical register with said needles during such raising and lowering.

WILLIAM HENRY BOALER. 

